Public Vaults

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The “Public Vaults” is a permanent exhibition in the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. Here, you can experience the feeling of going beyond the walls of the Rotunda into the stacks and vaults of the National Archives.

The “Public Vaults” features 1,100 records — both originals and facsimiles — including documents, photographs, maps, drawings, and film and audio clips drawn from the more than 10 billion pages of textual records; 12 million maps, charts, and architectural and engineering drawings; 25 million still photographs and graphics; 300,000 reels of motion picture film; and 400,000 video and sound recordings that make up the records of the Archives.

See important treaties and legislation dealing with grave matters of state, citizens’ letters to the President, citations for military bravery, records that document the lives of ordinary Americans and those who wish to become Americans, and so much more!